


Late to the Rink

by Kirfuffel



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: But Let's Be Honest Here, College, Could Be Canon, Gift Fic, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Light-Hearted, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Movie, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2020-05-28 07:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19389355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirfuffel/pseuds/Kirfuffel
Summary: Ed and Edd are running late, on their way to see their friend after a long trip.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spookaburra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spookaburra/gifts).



“Hurry, Ed! We lost precious time on that construction delay!”

Edd kept running - jostling the overflowing book bag in his hands and half throwing it over his shoulder. He scrambled to catch his bus pass before it fell to the ground, stumbling over his own feet. He tilted his arm the best he could, checking the time.

3:53:24

_“Ed!”_

“I’m coming, Double D! I got you!” Ed came barreling out of the bushes in a flurry of twigs and leaves. He bulldozed into Edd’s back, scooping him and his burdened backpack up and charging ahead. “I got you, Double D!”

“Oh dear-!” Edd gathered his things onto his chest, clutching them with one arm and checking his watch again. 3:55:46! “Oh _why_ did this have to be on my long scheduled day! We’ll never make it!”

“Never say never, Double D!” Ed sped up, flying across the scenic hilly landscape towards the impressive complex looming ahead of them.

“Oh! Left! _Left!”_ Edd pointed quickly. “The hockey stadium is that way!”

Ed screeched into the turn and hurdled forward.

“There’s the entrance!” Edd checked his watch. 3:58:55! “Oh, we’re cutting it clo- **ED, NO!”**

Ed turned his shoulder at the last second, crashing into the door and ramming it open with a _SLAM!_ He sprinted down the hall unfazed.

Edd uncovered his eyes, his heart racing in his chest. “Ed, I wish you wouldn’t d- no, right! Right! I wish you wouldn’t do that. It can’t be good for your acromio- _**ED, PLEASE!”**_

With a crash, Ed rammed into the double doors and stumbled down the stairs towards the ice rink. “See, Double D? We got here! We got here just in time!”

Edd checked his watch, just as it turned over to 4:00:00. He sighed with relief and his eyes rolled back. “We did… thank you, Ed. You can put me down now.”

“Okay. Here you go.”

Edd stepped down onto shaking legs, gathering his things up into his arms again. He started back down the stairs, towards the group of people at the edge of the rink. He came up behind them and tried to peer over their shoulders. 

“Excuse me… pardon me…”

No one seemed to hear him. He didn’t recognize them - though they all seemed to be good friends. Judging by the equipment in some of the bags, he had to assume this was the entire women’s hockey team - and perhaps some of their friends, too. While some of them eventually turned for a second to look at him, they certainly weren’t about to give up their rink side seats.

Edd looked around for his companion, only to see Ed wandering off towards the other side of the rink. He scurried past the other spectators to follow him. A barrier clearly depicted public and off-limits space- but Ed vaulted over it without a second thought. Edd - against his better judgement - clambered over the barrier as well, falling down the other side and sending his overburdened backpack spilling over the floor.

“Oh trouble, trouble, trouble…” He murmured, gathering up the binders and books and papers that had scattered around. He tried to hastily put them back in order, following the color-coding to stuff them back into their appropriate spots-

“Look, Double D! It’s Eddy! Look, look!”

Edd stood up quickly, his shoddily organized binders cockeyed in his arms as he rushed up to the side of the rink.

Sure enough, there he was. Gliding around on the ice like he was the only person in the world. Practically waltzing with smooth curves of his skates. A kick of his leg, a triple toe loop jump- slightly cheated. As usual.

Edd dropped his binders, putting his hands on the side of the rink. “Eddy! Eddy!”

The boy on the ice opened his eyes and looked over nonchalantly. He smiled, making a sharp turn and skating over.

Edd jumped, trying to get his arms to support him on the wall, but he didn’t quite make it. He tried again, kicking his legs to get momentum unsuccessfully. He tried one more time and effortlessly leaned over the wall - then suddenly too precariously for comfort, as Ed hoisted him up by the back of his jacket to get him over.

But he didn’t care, for here came Eddy and with a tilt of his head, their lips met.

Eddy pulled away first. “Hey, sockhead.”

Edd threw his arms around Eddy’s neck, pulling him in. “Oh, Eddy, it’s wonderful to see you again! You simply must tell us all about France, your pictures surely did it no justice! Oh, the culture, the historical sights-!”

“The french toast! Did you bring me any, Eddy?”

“Sure did. I’ll give it to ya later, big guy.” Eddy pulled Edd’s arms off his shoulders, guiding him back up over the wall. “What, did you guys not watch me on TV?”

“Of course we did!” Edd cried. “We would never miss your competitions! Right, Ed?”

Ed nodded excitedly. “You gotta shiny medal in front of everyone!”

“Psh. It was bronze, Ed. It ain’t that shiny.” Eddy shrugged. “But that was my trip. I went, I skated, I came home. No big deal.”

“Oh surely you did more than that. You were in Grenoble, a city wrought in history older than our own country and nestled at the foot of the French Alps! It’s home to La Bastille, Musée de Grenoble, Universite Joseph Fourier, one of France’s top engineering universities-!”

“Jeez, what are you? Their tourist committee?” Eddy scoffed, leaning his back against the wall. “Maybe you should’ve gone instead.”

“Oh, Eddy, I would have, you know I would have. But my midterms and my society duties-”

“Easy there, Double D. I’m joshing ya.” Eddy tilted his head back, looking up at them. “So what’s the plan? You just gonna stand there and watch me skate or what?”

“We’re gonna skate, too!” With that, Ed launched himself over the wall and onto the rink, his back hitting the ice with a _SMACK!_ He began scooting himself around with his feet, laughing.

“Hey! No shoes on the ice, ya dingus!” Eddy rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. He looked back up to Edd. “How about you, Double D? You gonna lace up?”

“I would, Eddy, but we haven’t much time. Ed must be at his job soon.”

“Oh yeah? Someone actually hired that big lug?”

“Oh yes. Ed is doing very well for himself now. He works in a warehouse, moving cargo on the docks. I’ve seen his performance records. He can do the work of three employees.”

“Huh. I knew the guy was a freakin’ horse, but I didn’t think he could hold down a job with it.”

“Oh come now, Eddy. Ed was always good with instructions and dedication. He is perfect for his job.”

“And you? You still doing that lacky job?”

“You mean my teaching assistance, Eddy? Yes, I am. It keeps me occupied.”

“All the classes and the clubs and the honor societies and the student government isn’t enough?”

“Well, those are extracurricular activities - for networking. I will need them for future endeavors. Teaching assistance is something I do for fun.”

Eddy scoffed. “Only you would think teaching a bunch of snobby rich kids is fun.”

“Everyone is capable of learning, Eddy. I love to impart the joys of learning unto others!”

Eddy scoffed with a smirk. “You’re a sap.” 

The two shared a laugh that faded off as they watched Ed gleefully entertain the spectators on the other side of the rink - a crowd that had significantly thinned out from before, but still a sizable group of girls laughing and clapping at his antics.

“You know, Eddy,” Edd mused quietly, reaching down to touch Eddy’s shoulders. “I don’t know where you’re staying, but…”

“Meh. I’m gonna grab a hotel. I can’t deal with your roommates again.”

“Well, I have most fortunate news, then. Mother and Father arranged other accommodations this year, now that the bylaws of the university don’t confine me to the dormitories. I… actually have my own apartment.”

Eddy looked up. “Oh yeah? How’d you spring that?”

“My parents worried for my mental health, due to the stress of sharing living quarters with so many people. I think they were right to worry. Freshman year was… arduous.”

“I know.”

A brief moment of silence spread comfortably between them. Then Eddy leaned back again. “I wanna see.”

“Of course. We can take the shuttle. It is exactly 17 minutes from campus.” Edd leaned up again, shouting, “Ed! Ed, come here please! It’s time to go!”

“Aw, not now, Double D!” Ed was balancing precariously on his hands, nothing but the sleeves of his jacket between the ice and certain disaster. “I’m gonna do a flip!”

“You most certainly are not! You will break your neck!”

“I’m gonna do it!”

The girls cheered.

“Eddy, do something!” Edd pleaded.

“Hold on, I wanna see the flip-”

_“Eddy!”_

“Alright, fine. Fine.” Eddy kicked off, gliding over. “Hey! Cut it out, ya doofus! You’re gonna give Double D an aneurysm!"


	2. Chapter 2

"What, Mom and Pops couldn't arrange a first floor joint?"

"Of course they could have, but it isn't practical." Edd trotted up the last flight of stairs with a huff. "A middle floor apartment has the most consistent heating and cooling cost, and I do appreciate consistency. I assume you're complaining to complain, however, because stairs are an excellent source of exercise for the major muscle groups of the legs and you purposefully seek that out on a daily basis."

"Aw, y'caught me."

"I wasn't born yesterday. Ah yes. Here we a-" Edd's head snapped down disapprovingly. He moved the welcome mat back in place with his foot. "Here we are. My humble living quarters. Provided, of course."

Eddy kicked off his shoes at the door, popping on one of the sterile sets of slippers provided on the opposite side. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. "It is just like I imagined it'd be."

"Oh shush. You haven't even received the tour."

"Yeah? I bet I can tell you exactly what the rest of the place is gonna look like."

"Hmph." Edd crossed his arms. "Well, I would very much like to see that."

"You wanna bet on it?"

"Gambling is an illegal activity, Eddy, and therefore not allowed in this establishment." Edd smiled and leaned forward. "However, as I am certain of the outcome, it really isn't gambling."

"Alright then, smartass. Take the bet." Eddy stuck out his hand. "Winner gets to pick dinner."

"Hm. Very well. I will indulge your fun." Edd shook his hand. He took a notebook and its pencil from its labeled place. He placed a five-numbered list on it, handing it to Eddy. "Since I am feeling sporting, I will concede if you can name five things that end up being correct. With the caveat that you cannot name anything that you can see from the doorway - we must play fair, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Eddy scribbled some things down. He popped the pen between his teeth to think of the last two.

"Eddy, no! The germs-!"

"Relax. Grab a wet wipe." Eddy scratched down the last two and held out the pad of paper. "There."

Edd took the paper and - with a wet wipe - the pen. He read the list. "Hm... I feel like number three is a given-"

"I can't see it from the doorway, can I?"

"I suppose not. A technicality, but I'll concede." Edd carefully tore off the piece of paper along its perforation. He placed the paper back in its proper place, then gestured inside. "Come along, Eddy. We can check the list as we tour for efficiency."

Edd stepped into the apartment with a flourish. "Here we have the living area, for entertaining guests and general activities such as reading. It has all of the expected amenities, including the misnomer of the coffee table - as coffee is of course taken in the dining area."

Eddy walked over to the mentioned furniture. He bent down and looked underneath the top of it. He snapped. "Number four. All the tools the furniture came with, labeled and taped to the actual furniture."

"It's practical."

"Dude, y'know all these allen wrenches are identical, right?"

"That is all well and good until one isn't. Then you are stuck trying to figure out which is which or having to get another. Which is a headache."

"Whatever. It's my point."

"Very well." Edd checked it off. "Onward. If you look to your right, you will see the office. For school work and apartment maintenance, such as the payment of bills or correspondence with the staff."

"Number three."

"Of course I have a calendar, Eddy. Such a cheap win."

"Yeah, it doesn't say 'calendar'." Eddy tapped the paper. "It says color coded calendar that looks like some crazy person wrote the dictionary on it."

Edd rolled his eyes and checked it off. "I'll have you know that calendar keeps me sane. Next we have-"

"Number two."

Edd looked down at the tape on the floor. He sighed and marked it off. "I like to know where one area ends and another begins."

"Two more and I win."

"Yes, yes. Here is the kitchen. For cooking, food storage and preparation, but not for dining." Edd strutted over to the refrigerator, presenting the long piece of paper stuck to it with magnets. "Please regard the detailed meal plan I have laid out, as I believe we will be adhering to it."

"Hm..." Eddy leaned in, examining the list. "Isn't that number five?"

Edd checked it off. "The dining area. To our left. Self-explanatory, I believe."

"Is that Jim?"

"Most observant, Eddy. It certainly is." Edd walked over to the cactus sitting on the windowsill. "I'm afraid Al did not join us on the move, as he is expected to grow prohibitively large within the next three years. He is now planted in Mother and Father's yard, where I've been assured he is thriving."

"Whatever. Jim's my favorite anyway."

"You shush, Eddy! I don't play favorites!"

"You don't, but I do. Now how about you show me where a guy can take a leak around here."

"Oh! Of course." Edd rushed through the kitchen. "Here we have the lavatory and all that is to be expected, as well as my laundry facilities. I have also taken the liberty of providing a guest basket, where you will find everything you need for an extended stay, sterilized and wrapped for your convenience-"

"Nice. Hit the pause button while I check it out."

Edd politely went to the other side of the apartment for privacy. He sat down in the living room. He read off the last item on the list with a smile. He sat up to wait. Then he peered under the coffee table at the tools he'd placed there. Maybe it was impractical to keep identical tools-

"Yo, sockhead. Where'd you go?"

Edd jumped back up and rushed back over. "One more stop on our tour. Come, we can access it through the bathroom."

They walked through the bathroom and the lingering smell of bleach, and into the final room.

"Here we have the sleeping quarters, for dressing and resting. You will find my closet and dresser in here, as well."

"And number one. White cotton sheets with nurse corners you can bounce a half dollar off of."

"The proper term is 'hospital corners' or 'mitred corners', but kindly check again."

Eddy pushed past him to smugly observe the tidy room - only to find that he was indeed wrong. For instead of the clean white sheets made to show off even the smallest speck of dust, there were bright purple sateen sheets.

"Oh shut up!" Eddy rushed over, grabbing the sheets. "Are these my sheets?!"

"Of course not. Your bed was a twin. These are queen sized. Mother found them for me. I thought it might make you feel more at home."

"Sweet Jesus, I haven't slept in a decent pair of sheets in a million years. This is gonna be amazi-" Eddy paused. He cocked an eyebrow and turned around. "Now hold on a minute. Are you suggesting I sleep in your bed?"

Every drop of blood went to Edd's face. "W-well... M-maybe I was a tad presumptuous, but I-I assumed-"

"Oh, Eddward! What kind of guy do you think I am?!" Eddy threw himself back on the bed, throwing his hand over his forehead. "Scandal! Outrage!"

Edd hid a laugh behind his hand, his face still red. "S-stop! You're wrinkling the sheets!"

"Whatever. They get wrinkled when you sleep in them." Eddy sat up laughing. "Oh man... guess I lost."

"Indeed."

"You knew I was wrong from the beginning."

"Well of course I did, Eddy. I know my own home better than anyone."

"Fine, fine. What's on your schedule? I'm starving."

"Well, let's go check." Edd grabbed Eddy's hand to pull him off the bed. After a quick and barely sufficient straightening of the sheets, the two went back into the kitchen. Edd peered over the list. "Hm..."

"What? Did you forget I was coming? Am I gonna starve?"

"Don't be silly. Your arrival has been on my calendar for weeks."

"Then what's it say?" Eddy crowded him, reading the list. He scowled and looked over. "What the hell, Double D."

Edd chuckled.

The list clearly said 'Eddy's choice'.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who is predictable, right, Eddy?"

"How about you stuff it, sockhead? Just for that, I'm gonna pick the smelliest, most dish staining food I can get delivered." Eddy whipped out his phone.

"No! No, Eddy, come now! It was harmless fun!" Edd grabbed for his phone. "Please, I'm begging you, have some restraint!"


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't see what the big deal of just eating out of the take out containers is."  


"Well, studies have shown increased satisfaction with a meal when it is presented on real dish," Edd commented, as he dished the food from the stryofoam and plastic containers onto the ceramic plates.  


Eddy's eyes were locked on the tacos as the silver tongs placed them individually on a plate. "Are there any studies showing how long it takes for someone to go fucking crazy when someone is keeping them from the food they haven't been able to eat for six months?"

"Not that specifically, but there was a study on- oh." Edd laughed, wagging the tongs at him, "Oh that's right. You're on a diet."

"Was. Was on a diet. This is gonna be the first real food I've eaten in months." Eddy snapped his fingers, pointing at the rice. "Hurry up."

"I'd hate to get you in trouble with your coach, Eddy," Edd teased, pulling the plate back a little farther. "Maybe a nice salad-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. What Vlad doesn't know ain't gonna hurt him. Gimme. Now."

Edd passed the plate and Eddy grabbed it with one hand and a taco with the other. He shoved it in his mouth, the crispy shell breaking under his teeth and the grease sliding down his fingers. For a brief moment as the savory beef mixed with the cool crunch of lettuce and the creamy cheese, he might have actually transcended. Eddy laid his head down on the table. "Mm..."

"Are you alright, Eddy?"

"It is so greasy..." Eddy opened his eyes. "Is it possible to feel a taste, like in your soul?"

"There hasn't been any scientific proof of a soul yet, no. But food is considered to be one of the things most associated with strong, indescribable feelings in human psychology." Edd shrugged, picking up his knife and fork. "So in a way, yes. You could be in love with your taco."

"Oh man, I wanna marry this taco." Eddy took another huge bite, putting his head back down. "I wanna be Mr. Eddy Skipper This-Taco."

"There have been unfortunate precedents for that, as well." Edd laughed to himself. "It will be hard for your taco to sign a legal document if you keep eating it, though."

"That's cool. This feels more like an affair than a marriage." Eddy shoved the rest of the taco in his mouth, picking up another. Eddy opened the shell just a little, spooning charro beans along the edge. "So how's school been going?"

Edd paused with his knife half-through a cheese enchilada. He continued to cut. "Fine. The rigors of my studies are certainly a challenge."

"Oh yeah? I've never met a book that could challenge you before."

"Well, it's quite... invigorating. I can practically feel my brain creating new synapses as I study." 

"Sounds painful."

"It can be, but - oh what's the phrase? - No pain, no gain?"

"Huh. You got me there." Eddy dumped the bowl of beans into the bowl of rice and mixed them together. "Glad you're liking everything. Honestly, when you were talking about your classes at the beginning of this semester, I thought you were making shit up."

"Oh don't be absurd, Eddy. Besides, I'm in sophomore year. Most of my classes are currently core curriculum and unrelated to my field of study."

"Yeah, when are you gonna get to your engineering courses?"

"Next semester. I'm looking forward to my first mechanical engineering course."

"Man, I still don't understand why they're making you go through all this. Didn't you send that video we made in? Did anyone see what you made out of garbage? Why are they making you take Prehistoric Art Literature if you can build that Thingamajig out of stuff we found in a junkyard!"

"It's to make well-rounded individuals. It is a fundamental aspect of a college environment, and helps develop the social skills needed to function with people outside a chosen profession." Edd shrugged with a grimace. "Though I must admit, it is difficult to maintain interest in Medieval Economic Theory when it has so little to do with my field of study." 

"That's not a class. That's a wikipedia article at 3 am." 

Edd snorted and laughed. "Well..."

Dinner faded into a comfortable silence as Eddy got lost in the sauce of a burrito and sought nirvana in the bottom of his rice and beans. Edd got up twice - once to refresh the sparkling water at the table, the second to retrieve another set of napkins - but otherwise sat content in the quiet, enjoying the company. Even through dessert of little fried pillows drenched to the edges in powdered sugar and honey, there wasn't much to say. It was just... nice. A nice silence that was different from the silence that usually permeated the apartment, that overlaid ice when technical skills were weak again. A silence different than that on plane rides or shuttle rides, in hotel rooms or labeled bedrooms. A silence for two, instead of a silence for one.

A silence that was broken when Edd began gathering plates. Eddy stacked his own in a neat pile, commenting, "Am I gonna get to help with the dishes?"

Edd walked around the table, taking the stack of plates and placing a kiss on Eddy's forehead. "No."

"Can I dry the dishes?"

"No."

"Can I put the dishes away?"

"Guests don't do chores."

"I'm not a guest. I'm a boyfriend," Eddy said to himself, listening to the running water start in the kitchen. "Those are two different categories..."

Eddy got out of his chair and sauntered into the kitchen, where Edd was donning a pair of pink rubber gloves. He walked up behind him and put his arms around his waist. "I never get to do anything around here."

"Au contraire. I let you take out the trash."

"Oh boy, how could I forget." Eddy set his chin on Edd's shoulder. "Come on."

Edd chuckled, resting his head on Eddy's. "I like doing chores."

"Then stop hogging all the fun. Gimme one thing."

"Very well..." Edd pretended to think for a moment, then said, "You can unpack."

"That's not a chore. Besides, I never unpack. I just live out of my bag. It's easier."

"If it's easier not to do it, then unpacking is a chore, isn't it?"

Eddy paused for a second, then squeezed Edd's waist. "Oh shit, you got me."

"I knew I could. Now run along. My water's running."

"Fine..." Eddy kissed his neck and let go, wandering back towards the front door where he'd left his bag. He picked it up from beside the sanitized shoe stand and tossed it over his shoulder with a huff. As he turned back around to head to the bathroom, he caught a glance at that crazy calendar again. He wandered over for a closer look, curious as to what exactly the essay written in every day was about. It was the usual stuff, mostly repeated class schedules Monday through Thursday with highlighted tests, quizzes and due dates. His schedule for his teaching assistant position. Student council dates. Eddy counted four different clubs based on the color-coding, all with various obligations throughout the week. Two different honor societies, as if the calendar wasn't already looking like Greek to Eddy. Yet today - and the weekend following - only had a single line written on each day. 

Eddy's Visit.

He stood there in silence for a while, just looking at the contrasting boxes. Somehow, his crushing defeat in Grenoble, the scathing reviews, the cold dread of another wasted year in a short career...

Well, it didn't seem so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based on an on-going imagining where that one line in the show's bible stated that "Eddy's dad worried about him being 'girly' and becoming a figure skater or something" actually happened. Everything occurs post-movie, however, which means it could possibly still be canon.
> 
> Let's be honest, though.


End file.
